When and How Often Should I Test with the Ketone Urine Test Strips?

When is the best time to test for ketones in urine? 

You should perform the test if you think you are likely to have higher than normal ketone levels in your urine. This can happen if you are on a low-carbohydrate diet or if you are a diabetic.  

In the body,  carbohydrates are converted to glucose. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy if following a Standard American Diet  (SAD) high in carbohydrates. Insulin is used to help process glucose in the blood to give the body energy. When blood glucose is not available for energy, the body will use fat stores or dietary fats to make ketones for energy. Ketones are molecules produced by the liver from fatty acids during periods of low food intake, carbohydrate restrictive diets, fasting, prolonged intense exercise, or in untreated type 1 diabetes mellitus.6.  Excess ketones are discarded in urine. 

How often should I test? 

When you first embark on a ketogenic diet, we recommend testing often, perhaps twice a day, to monitor your progress and watch your progression into ketosis.  We suggest testing while fasted, in the morning, an hour or two after waking and before either lunch or dinner (fasted at least two hours).